


space flu

by sp1lt_1nk



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Juno Steel Tries, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Buddy Aurinko/Vespa, Minor Peter Nureyev/Juno Steel, POV Peter Nureyev, Sick Character, Sickfic, Space Flu, Trust Issues, but really not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:06:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23965876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sp1lt_1nk/pseuds/sp1lt_1nk
Summary: set somewhere between tools of rust and shadows on the ship where Nureyev is struck down with the space flu. Juno steps up and helps him feel better. Welcome travellers, to the disaster of a man, peter Nureyev.
Relationships: Peter Nureyev/Juno Steel
Comments: 1
Kudos: 64





	space flu

**Author's Note:**

> this is vastly based on myself when I'm sick, if not exactly. I hope you are all doing as well as you can in quarantine  
> :)

The mission had been a success by the books; No one had gotten hurt and the artifact was now in Buddy’s possession... Yet, Peter felt as though it had all gone wrong. Whatever connection he and steel had shared at their first heist, it was all in the rubbish now, and possibly on fire. They had gotten on atrociously, poking holes in each other’s strategies rather than focusing on the mission. While Juno’s comments about his shortcoming on his sweet-talking had rung true, they were still unwelcome. It wasn’t his fault that his throat was dry regardless of how many drinks he had knocked back and the reception had been insufferably hot. 

But now, alone in his quarters it was warmer than he could ignore. He tried to shake off the feeling of the floor moving under him as he got a glass of water. He took a palmful of capsules Vespa had given him, general painkillers for headaches. He knew it was stupid, but he didn’t care enough to count them. 

His sleep was restless, the thin blankets discarded and then half-heartedly piled back on when the thermostat seemed to kick in halfway through the night. He woke up sometime later, disoriented and confused as to why his morning alarm hadn’t woken him up. When he finally found his comm he was confused to see it only read 02:57 am. He couldn’t place what had woken him up. his sleep had been restless but nightmare free. 

Suddenly a hot flash made him feel like his brain was melting. The sheets couldn't get flung off in time. 

Using one hand on the wall to steady himself, he could still feel the ship moving under his feet. He thought he was used to the rocking by now, yet his legs felt shaky. 

“Probably still tipsy” he muttered to himself as he leaned heavily on the walls as the ship’s floor lurched. 

His head felt heavy as he drank directly from the tap, the water usually warm water seemed freezing against his lips. Moments later his stomach twisted in protest. Vespa _had_ said the water probably shouldn't be consumed, but the walk to the kitchen was too far.

The alcohol had made him feel slightly nauseated, he recalled. Just the alcohol or the water. He was fine.

He was fine 

His eyes felt too tired to keep open, and his head rested on the cool - blessedly cool- metal counter of the sink. He’d forgotten why he was in the bathroom, but his head no longer felt like it was combusting from the inside out.

“Peter- holy shit!”

Juno’s voice woke him up, his head pounding and his stomach swimming unhappily as he opened his eyes. Juno was towering over him, something part of his brain found strange because Juno was so short. his face looked panicked. 

Oh. he was on the floor. 

“I need to get Vespa, you’re on _fire_ Nureyev,” Juno mumbled but he was too focused on how his stomach was cramping, sharp tugging pain in his abdomen, to process most of the words coming out of Juno’s pretty mouth. 

“Did you take something for this?” Juno was asking, his cool hands brushing back Nureyev’s sweat-slicked hair.

“Nhg,” he groaned, curling around his middle and simultaneously pushing his head into Juno’s hand. His head felt sticky as thoughts got lodged and stuck in his brain, like molasses in a sieve.

Juno just rolled his eyes. “Being you, you probably didn’t take anything, Here, get up.”

It took Nureyev a few tries to sit up enough to drink the water and to swallow the two pills Juno offered, but he managed. 

He thought Juno was going back to his room when he opened his eyes again and couldn't see the investigator. 

_Just like mag_

_just like Juno already had_ -

The press of calloused hands on his face broke him from his spiral. Too rough to be competent at any sort of bedside manner. A cold and sopping wet cloth was pressed to his forehead; beads of warming water rolled down his face. 

“You didn’t even take off your makeup. God, you’re a mess,” Juno muttered as he scrubbed the cosmetics off of the thief's face. It didn’t hurt... but just barely. 

Nureyev grimaced and tried to turn his head away from the rough treatment; his stomach cramped harder and made him gasp. 

“Shh let me just-” but Juno never finished as Nureyev suddenly lurched sideways, pushed his head over the toilet bowl and vomited. 

“Fuck-” he cursed before he vomited again. He hadn’t eaten much at dinner so there was little to bring up. he slumped into the toilet seat, its cool metal biting into his hot skin. He felt slightly better. 

“Hey, h-hey don't pass out again dammit!” Juno was pulling him upright again, making his head spin and his stomach heave. Nothing more could come up, but the open-mouthed gag made Juno wince. 

“S’rry,” Peter slurred, his eyelids drooping, it as if he had never slept in his life.

“It’s fine, don't apologize, you never apologize.”

Nureyev blinked and suddenly he was back in his room, a wet cloth draped in his forehead and the covers tucked to his chin. He’s never felt this bad since- There was the creaky woosh sound that meant a door had opened.

“Mag?” he asked, voice cracking and dusty like the desert on mars. 

“Nope.” The voice was cool, almost cold; definitely not mag. 

He almost ran. He was halfway out of bed before his legs gave out or he tripped in the tangled sheets. He was prone on the floor, easy to kill, easy to capture. 

He curled his arms around his head, most people enjoyed kicking a man when he was down in his experience. He might as well get a head start. His mind went back to miasma, how her silent bodyguards had tortured him, how he couldn’t think about anything but each card.

_flip_

__

_Green circle_

____

_flip_

_____ _

_Red square_

______ _ _

______ _ _

_flip_ -

_____ _

Something touched his shoulder and he let out a whimper, a goddamn whimper. The touch immediately retreated, as if he were a live wire. 

_____ _

“It’s just me Nureyev, I'm not going to- to... It’s Juno.” he was softer sounding, once again touched his shoulder, this time rubbing uncertain circles. 

_____ _

His arms hurt too much to move; it felt like someone had put his muscles in a blender. 

_____ _

“I'm sorry if I was too hard on you, during the mission. I didn’t know-” there was a heavy sigh behind him. “I shouldn’t have been that harsh regardless, even if I didn’t know you were sick… I'm sorry, alright?” his tone was a mix of desperation and anger. Nureyev was unsure if he was angry with himself or...

_____ _

“Do you hate me?” he asked weakly a moment later.

_____ _

“What? Of course not.” Juno replied immediately.

_____ _

A sob wrenched out of his chest. “You just _left_ ,” he said as he curled in on himself, “You didn’t say anything. I woke up and you were gone.”

_____ _

Juno didn’t say anything for a long time as he continued to rub his shoulder; it made worry pool in Nureyev’s stomach. He felt like he was going to be sick again.

_____ _

“I’m not going anywhere right now, okay? I promise.” the ex-detective gently pulled him into his lap then started carding his blunt fingers through Nureyev’s hair, his fingernails ever so slightly grazing his scalp. 

_____ _

It was sentimental until another harsh stomach cramp made Nureyev whine and push his face into Juno’s stomach, one pale hand grasping at Juno’s shirt while the other pressed painfully to his abdomen. 

_____ _

“You are _really_ sick. why didn’t you- how did I not notice?” 

_____ _

Nureyev started to laugh but it turned into a low groan when it made his stomach hurt more. “I didn’t… either…” He didn’t have the energy to wince at his rough voice, a sharp cry from his usually velvety sound.

_____ _

Juno did though, his eyebrows pinched together and his eye squinted in the dark. 

_____ _

“Can you get up? I think Vespa should take a look at you; you’re still burning.” Juno helped him sit up, needing to steady the master thief as his vision tunnelled again. Juno’s cool hand was pressing between his shoulder blades and forcing his head between his knees as gently as possible.

_____ _

“Just… sleep?” he mumbled, not sure if he was feeling dizzy from the fever or all the blood rushing back to his head. He was going to pass out again soon if the pulsing of blood in his ears didn't stop.

_____ _

“Sounds like a plan, but first thing tomorrow-” Juno let out a grunt as he took almost all of Nureyev’s weight; he was a rag doll in Juno’s arms, “I’m getting Vespa,”

_____ _

As Juno helped him to his bed, only three steps away at most, Nureyev could feel the colour leave his face.

_____ _

“There we go,” Juno was looking down at him again and he still looked concerned. Even more so, if he could recall.

_____ _

“actually… change of plans, I’m going to get Vespa.” Juno started to walk away but Nureyev managed to get a weak grip on his arm. The detective shushed him when he started to sleepily complain, his hands looked even paler when they were wrapped around Juno’s arm.

_____ _

“You’re really scaring me, Nureyev.” 

_____ _

"I-" he wasn't thinking about what he said next, but it came out of his mouth regardless. “Stay, please.”

_____ _

And Juno did, his fingers stroked through Nureyev's short hair and the thief fell into a feverish sleep. With Juno's vast experience with hangovers, he had the foresight to find a trash can. He was thankful for that when Nureyev woke up in the early morning to puke his guts out again, the taller man's stomach muscles cramping under Juno's hand. 

_____ _

Vespa gave them both a good cuff around the ears after a few tests revealed that in his fever-induced stupidity, Ransom had managed to take five times the recommended dose of the painkillers; the source of all his stomach cramps and vomiting. Other than that he had the flu.

_____ _


End file.
